Deadline: 30-Jun-21
STAT is now accepting applications for the Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship, a new program with the goal of diversifying the ranks of science and health journalists and fostering better coverage of science that is relevant to all people.
It combines a paid reporting position at STAT with an educational component provided through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s prestigious Knight Science Journalism program.
The nine-month fellowship is intended for early-career U.S. journalists from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the profession and will prepare them for a successful career in science journalism.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative provided $225,000 to support the first two years of the program, which is named in honor of Sharon Begley, an award-winning science writer for STAT, who died in January 2021 at 64, from complications of lung cancer. The Knight Science Journalism (KSJ) program and MIT are also providing financial support for the fellowship.
The Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship aims to serve as a model for expanding racial diversity in science journalism that could be replicated at other publications.
Science journalism reflects the structural and systemic inequities in our society, with Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous reporters often not getting the same opportunities as white reporters to gain experience.
Roughly 80% of science journalists are white, according to the most recent membership data from two of the leading professional organizations, with 6% identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander, 1%-4% as Black, 3%-4% as Hispanic or Latinx, and 1% as Native American.
Fellows will work at STAT’s Boston office alongside its team of experienced science and health reporters and editors to report and write articles for STAT. They will have opportunities for mentorship and to work with various teams.
At the same time, they will participate in KSJ training seminars and fellowship community events and have access to the MIT libraries. (In the program’s first year, the KSJ offerings will be virtual.) In future years, fellows will be able to audit classes at MIT and Harvard.
Funding Information
- Fellows will be paid $75,000 and receive health insurance through MIT. They will receive 10 days of vacation and get standard holidays off.
STAT is launching a campaign to raise additional funding to support the growth and sustainability of the Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship for years to come.
Your contribution will help pay for fellows’ reporting expenses and salaries, program administrative costs, and other STAT operational costs. All contributions will directly help STAT’s newsroom recruit and cultivate new talent to support science journalism.
Eligibility Criteria
- An applicant must be residing in the U.S. and live in, or be willing to relocate to, the Boston area.
- Applicants must have some previous journalism experience; between six months and five years is desirable.
- Previous work as a science writer is not required.
- In compliance with federal law, fellows will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
For more information, visit https://www.statnews.com/sharon-begley-science-reporting-fellowship/